Scoop of the day at Downhill beach

Claire Cartmill

It was definitely a case of mine’s a slider...and stop flaking about!!!! When this ice-cream van got stuck in the fast approaching tide on Downhill beach yesterday (Tuesday).

Downhill visitors had to ditch their ice-cream quest to help push the van out.

Despite the waves coming up to the wheel arches of the van, numerous sun bathers were adamant they were staying in the queue to get their beloved ice-cream.

However as the tide came in further, the ice-cream hunters got a real cooling down and had to ditch their quest and help push the van out of the sea.

As predicted, Northern Ireland basked in the hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday with temperatures rising to a sweltering 28.0 Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) with the north coast experiencing some of the best weather.

“It was absolutely scorching,” said John Wylie, of the Met Office for Northern Ireland. “It was a hot summer’s day with the north coast the best.

“Even inland places were high, such as Aldergrove, which was over 27C.”

The good weather yesterday was enjoyed by huge crowds of sun bathers in many local beaches along the north coast with record numbers in Portstewart and Portrush.

* The pictures were posted on a Facebook site called Idiot Driver Northern Ireland.